Display system for data assisted bingo game

ABSTRACT

A bingo game computer system includes a central computer unit having a master monitor, a master keyboard, and a plurality of gam monitors coupled thereto. The game monitors are provided in one-to-one correspondents with a number of game participants. Each of the monitors includes a switch operable by the game participant for indicating to the central computer unit that a bingo result has been achieved. The central computer unit includes a random number generator which generates a game number which is displayed on the master monitor and the plurality of game monitors. Further, the central computer unit causes an indicator to be displayed in a game square of each displayed bingo array which corresponds to the game number generated by the random number generator.

The present invention relates to a display system for a data assistedbingo game, where each individual game participant has positioned infront of himself a computer controlled pictorial presentation of severalbingo square arrays containing bingo numbers or symbols.

In the ordinarily known form of the game of bingo, the game participantbuys a number of "bingo vouchers, pieces or boards" with arrays ofsquares containing bingo numbers. As random numbers are brought up by agame master and called out, the game participant himself must cross outor cover those numbers in the square nets which coincide with the numberjust called out, while the master notes or in some other manner recordsevery number called out. When a bingo result is obtained, i.e. when aparticipant has crossed out a full row of numbers in the square array,the game managers must check the results.

Many people, and particulary elderly persons, will often have a problemin following the game properly, especially if they have a rather highnumber of vouchers/square arrays, and thereby they have a risk ofmissing bingo results achieved and thus losing prizes which rightfullyshould be theirs.

Special bingo boards have been constructed comprising shiftable lids tocover the individual bingo numbers in the square array. A board of thistype only remedies the problems mentioned above to a small degree, sincethe operation of shifting the lid to a position over the bingo numbertakes about the same amount of time as crossing out the number with apen in an ordinary square array.

Furthermore, the necessary check of the correct bingo result by themanagement remains, since every number in the complete row must be readand checked against the numbers called out. The game would gain a clearadvantage if a faster number check after the game was possible.

In addition, a lot of time is spent buying bingo vouchers between thegame rounds. A simplification of both the charge payments and thechecking of numbers would reduce demands for personnel in the gamemanagement, and a greater part of the game time may be used for the gameitself.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a manner ofpresenting a bingo game which will aid the game participants incomprehending and following the progress of the game, and to increasethe probability of a game participant achieving his or hers possiblerightful prize, and possibly also ensuring this completely.

It is also an object to make the game, charge payment, prizedisbursement and number check more efficient.

These and other objects which will appear from the more detaileddescription of the invention, are achieved by constructing a displaysystem of the type that appears from the subsequent patent claims.

A more detailed description of the invention will be made referring to apreferred embodiment shown in the drawings, where FIG. 1 illustrates theapparatus set-up schematically, and FIG. 2 shows an example of a gamemonitor presentation in accordance with a preferred embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 1 shows a central computer 1 together with attached game monitors3A, 3B, . . . , 3N. To each one of the game monitors is assigned areaction push button 4A, 4B . . . , 4N to be operated by the individualgame participant. The primary function of the reaction button issignalling to the computer 1 when a game participant discovers that abingo result (for instance one complete row) has been achieved in hisgame monitor, and pushes the button. Other types of signalling from thebutton may be envisaged, for instance signalling certain simple dataprior to the start of a game, given clearance from the game master, andhaving the form of a certain number of pushes of the button.

Furthermore, two devices are attached to the computer 1 in order to beused by the game master, namely a master monitor 2 and a master keyboard5. By means of the master monitor and keyboard the game master is ableto keep track of the progress of the game and retrieve desiredinformation relating to the account balance of the participants. Thecentral computer 1 is adapted and programmed to keep complete track ofall movements in the game as well as the balance of each participant,and to generate the random numbers which constitute the essence of abingo game. The computer also controls the monitor presentations andstores all necessary game information. The computer 1 thereforecomprises several subprocessors. The random numbers are created in arandom generator. An interface unit with a number N of parallellend-stages for the game monitors 3A-3N is necessary to provide correctvideo signals for each game monitor, and a special interface also existsfor driving the master monitor 2. A picture control unit providessignals for the interfaces, and the picture control unit is governed bya central processor comprising arithmetic/logic units and necessary ROMand RAM type memory stores. The random generator, the master keyboard 5and all of the reaction buttons 4A, . . . , 4N are connected to thiscentral processor.

An examplified description of the progress of a game situation shall beused in the further elucidation of the present invention, alternatinglyreferring to both FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

A number of game participants, at most equal to N, are seated by some ofor all of the game monitors 3. The game participants pay the startcharge for one or more game rounds to the game master, who enters startcharge data for each particular participant (or game monitor) in thecomputer 1 by means of the master keyboard 5. The computer instantlypresents the balance in a special field 7 (FIG. 2) of each game monitor3. The game master then may ask orally, or the computer may display awritten request to each game participant on his assigned game monitor,or possibly both at the same time, for a declaration of the desirednumber of bingo boards, i.e. bingo square arrays 6 in the first game, bypushing the reaction button 4 the desired number of times. The computer1 immediately checks that the paid start charge is not exceeded, i.e. ifthe charge is insufficient for the desired number of bingo boards 6, andpresents on the game monitor 3 the number of boards 6 which the gameparticipant has selected, within the possible maximum which is fourboards in the embodiment of FIG. 2.

As shown in FIG. 2, the player indicates a desire to play with threeboards 6, wherefore "board d" is empty, see reference number 9. It isalso possible to place more than four boards on one game monitor 3.

Simultaneously with the presentation of the boards 6, the balance of thegame participant in field 7 is reduced in correspondance with the priceof the chosen number of boards. The game master may now, by using thekeyboard 5, retrieve as desired information about the account balance ofeach individual game monitor 3 on the master monitor 2.

Each of the bingo boards 6 now being displayed continuously andpreferably in clear colours, if the game monitors 3 have colourcapacity, contain bingo numbers 10 of ordinary type, or in certainembodiments of the invention special symbols/signs. When using a simplerversion of the computer 1, the same number configuration will always bedisplayed in that bingo board 6 which takes up a certain position in themonitor picture of the individual game monitor 3, but when a moreadvanced version of the computer 1 is used, new bingo numberconfigurations may very well be generated when starting a game and bemaintained only during this game, generating new configurations forevery new game, and preferably functions like these may be controlled bythe game master using the keyboard 5.

The number of squares in a square array or board 6 on the game monitors3 is not necessarily 5×5=25, as shown in the example of FIG. 2, but canbe adapted to the prevailing circumstances, for instance the physicalsize of the monitors, readability and the like. It is also possible tolet the game master make variations from one game to another concerningthe size of the boards, by communicating with the computer 1 via thekeyboard 5.

If it is desired, the prize of the game round in question may bepresented on every game monitor 3, possibly in a particular field (notshown) in the monitor picture.

Then the game itself may begin. The game master now retrieves the firstrandom integer from the random generator of the computer 1. Primarilythe integer is presented instantaneously in a distinctive field 8 oneach game monitor 3 as well as the master monitor 2, but at the sametime an easily visible indication 11 is presented in those squares whichcontain the bingo number equal to the random integer, or containing thespecial symbol corresponding to the integer. In the example shown inFIG. 2, the indication has the shape of a ring 11 around the bingonumber, but the indication may just as well be some other clearlyvisible symbol, or quite simply a distinct colour change in the squarearound the bingo number, which itself is maintained visible. Theindication 11 is stored in the computer 1 and is maintained visibleuntil the proceeding game ends. If it is desired, the indication 11 maypossibly consist of blanking the bingo number in the square by enteringa new colour to cover the square completely, for instance using blackcolour.

The computer 1 continues retrieving random integers, either on commandfrom the game master via the keyboard 5, or automatically withpredetermined time intervals, which time intervals possibly may beregulated by the game master. When an integer emerges to give onecomplete row in one of the boards 6 on one of the game monitors 3, abingo result has been achieved. It is now presented on the mastermonitor 2 which game monitor (and possibly which board) has a bingoresult. In this situation several possibilities exist, and all of theseare covered by the present invention:

a) The computer 1 communicates no particular signal to the game monitors3. Reaction by pushing the reaction button 4 is left completely to thatgame participant who has the bingo board in question, with one completerow. However, this is not the preferred embodiment, presenting higherdemands on the power of apprehension and speed of the participant thanthat which is desirable.

b) The computer 1 blocks the further retrieval of random numbers, insuch a manner that there is a pause. The duration of said pause may bepredetermined or determined by the game master by using the keyboard 5.This embodiment gives the participant a better possibility ofapprehending the situation, and more time for a reaction.

c) Same as b), but in addition the computer provides for, for instanceby flashing or changing colour in a special field (not shown) or allover the picture background in the monitor picture of every game monitor3, automatic information about the fact that a bingo result now ispresent. This is the most preferred embodiment, which ensures to a highdegree that the game participant with a bingo result does not miss hiscomplete row, but which still leaves final detection to the participant.

d) A solution which is similar to the preceding one, but in which theautomatic information from the computer 1 about a bingo result is onlypresented on the game monitor of the lucky game participant, and in thesame manner as stated in solution c), is also possible. However, thissolution approaches the limit where no detection effort is necessaryfrom the part of the participant, except from pushing the reactionbutton 4.

e) Of course the system offers the possibility that the computer quitesimply informs on all game monitors 3 that a bingo result has occurredin for instance game monitor 3F and that the game consequently has cometo an end. In this case it is not necessary to push the button. This isthe limiting case as mentioned above, and it is usually not of greatinterest. However, this variant may be of particular interest when theparticipants in some way or another are handicapped, for instance peoplewho are ill in beds. The game will have more the character of a purelottery than in the other cases, but may still present a greatentertainment value. The reaction buttons 4 may also be left out if thesystem in question is only meant for the use of varient e).

In the above cases a)-d) which are of most interest, and where thereaction button 4 is pushed, the game master can immediately decide fromthe master monitor 2 if the reaction comes from the right participant.

The computer now "makes up" all accounts by adding the game prize to thebalance of the winner, while all the others are held constant. If thegame round continues to obtain further complete rows, the game now iscarried on by a keyboard signal from the game master, and the gamecontinues as previously described.

When the last section of a game round is finished and the last prize hasbeen added to the account of a winner, all boards 6 are blanked out onthe game monitors 3.

A new game round is then started by a new "sale of boards 6", forinstance when a new game participant enters. Of course, a participantwhose balance has fallen to zero, also may want to pay a new charge inorder to continue to play. However, time is gained by letting severalgame participants pay for a number of games already from the start, andthese participants are immediately ready to choose number of boards in anew game, as long as their balances cover this.

The more specific construction of the computer 1, including the videointerfaces, will be obvious to a skilled person in this technical fieldwhen the previous statements have been drawn up, and constitutes no partof the present invention.

However, it is to be noted that the game monitors 3 and the mastermonitor 2 in the preferred and realized prototype version of theinvention are colour TV monitors, but in principle one may, just as wellas TV cathode ray tubes (CRT) use monitors of liquid crystal (LCD) type,plasma display devices or other suitable display devices.

Furthermore, it is of course possible to program the computer in such amanner that the prize to be gained in a game is related in a certain wayto the total start charge paid in for that game. For instance a certainpercentage may be used, say 70%, so that a total fee payment of 500units (NOK) in one game, results in a prize of 350 units in that game.Figures of interests (percentage, paid charge, and prize) may then bepresented on all of the game monitors 3 if it is desired.

I claim:
 1. A bingo game computer system comprising:a central computerunit; a master monitor, operatively coupled to said central computerunit, including means for displaying selectable game data; a masterkeyboard, operatively coupled to said central computer unit, includingmeans for controlling and selecting the game data displayed on saidmaster monitor; a plurality of game monitors, operatively coupled tosaid central computer unit, each including a switch means operable by agame participant and each including means for displaying a plurality ofbingo arrays which are each made up of a matrix of game squares and fordisplaying a game number, wherein said plurality of game monitors areprovided in one-to-one correspondence with a number of gameparticipants; wherein said central computer unit includes (a) a firstprocessor means for controlling a display of said master monitor andsaid plurality of game monitors, (b) a random number generator means forgenerating the game number to be displayed on said master monitor andsaid plurality of game monitors, and (c) a second processor means forcausing an indicator to be displayed in a game square of each displayedbingo array which corresponds to the game number generated by saidrandom number generator means.
 2. A system as recited in claim 1,wherein said central computer unit further includes (a) means forcausing each of said plurality of game monitors to display an accountbalance associated with each respective game monitor, the accountbalance denoting a difference between a fee paid by a game participantand a fee charged in connection with a number of bingo arrays displayed,and (b) means for adding to the account balance of each respective gamemonitor any prizes awarded.
 3. A system as recited in claim 2, whereinsaid central computer unit includes means for causing said mastermonitor to display a game complete indication when a bingo result occurson at least one of the bingo arrays displayed on said plurality of gamemonitors.
 4. A system as recited in claim 3, wherein said centralcomputer unit further includes means for prohibiting display on saidmaster monitor and said plurality of game monitors of further gamenumbers generated by said random number generating means when the bingoresult occurs on at least one of the bingo arrays displayed on saidplurality of game monitors.
 5. A system as recited in claim 3 or 4,wherein said central computer unit further includes means for causingeach of said game monitors to display a game complete indication when abingo result occurs on at least one of said bingo arrays displayed onsaid plurality of game monitors.
 6. A system as recited in claim 3 or 4,wherein said central computer unit further includes means for causing agame complete indication to be displayed on only a game monitor in whicha bingo result has occurred on at least one of said bingo arrays.
 7. Asystem as recited in any one of claims 1-4, wherein said centralcomputer unit further includes means, responsive to said switch means,for verifying that a bingo result has occurred on a bingo array of oneof said plurality of game monitors, wherein a game participant activatessaid switch means when a bingo result is realized.
 8. A system asrecited in any one of claims 1-4, wherein said indicator is realized byblanking out each game square of each bingo array which corresponds tothe game number generated by said random number generating means.
 9. Asystem as recited in any one of claims 1-4, wherein said indicator isrealized by at least one of (a) changing a display color of each gamesquare of each bingo array which corresponds to the game number, and (b)providing a visible marker within each game square of each bingo arraywhich corresponds to the game number.
 10. A system as recited in any oneof claims 1-4, wherein said master monitor and said plurality of gamemonitors are at least one of a CRT device, an LCD device and a plasmadisplay device.